A mistake worth making?
by fairy-faraday
Summary: A screw up on a mission has left Yogi in a spot of trouble with the higher ups in Circus. A secret could be revealed or stay hidden. The outcome of this decision could impact Yogi's life forever. This could have been a mistake worth making. Rated T for violence in later chapters.


He had screwed up. He realised that. However, he didn't think it was enough to warrant this. A hearing in front of the big wigs who worked behind the scenes within Circus. Yogi ran his slender fingers through his untidy hair; which he now thought he probably should have fixed before he stood in front of the board of directors. The corridor, which he trekked almost daily, seemed longer than usual and somehow more eerie. He thought it was probably just because of what was waiting at the end of it. This wasn't going to end well for Yogi. Perhaps not in the sense of a punishment or scolding but because Yogi was so tired and stressed from what had recently happened, he didn't know if he could keep the tears which hung on his eyelashes from spilling down his face while he pleaded for some mercy.

"So, do you understand?" Yogi gazed up at the man strolling next to him. He recoiled and gave a small yelp of surprise. The elicited a confused reaction from the Captain of the Second Ship who stared back and stood in place.

"Ah, Hirato-san. Um how long have you been walking with me?" Yogi inquired. These words made the Captain sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I take it then that you haven't been listening to a word I've said about what to do when you enter the room in front of the Board?" This was posed as a question but Yogi could see that Hirato already knew the answer. It didn't matter now as the two men stood in front of the ornate mahogany doors. Hirato glanced at them and then back to Yogi. "Just stand there and only speak when you are spoken to. If you do that then you should be fine." the Captain smirked which Yogi found a little bit of comfort in but not enough to help him through the wrath he was probably about to face.

"Well then, in you go. I will be sitting with the Board. I'm afraid I won't be able to do very much to help you at this stage. Good luck all the same." The Captain grabbed the young fighter's shoulder and smiled a sort of false smile which was trying to instil confidence in Yogi but failing to do so.

Hirato walked off in a different direction and entered through a separate entrance. Yogi honestly thought about running at this stage but….where would he run to? Time to be brave he thought. He pivoted towards the doors, grabbed the golden brass handles and pulled, which required some strength on his part. A smell of dust and damp invaded his nose causing him to choke a little. The smell of the room also matched the ambiance. The room was exceedingly dark; only illuminated by small, dim lights which covered two of the four walls of the rather large room. Yogi took a step forward into the room and the large doors closed behind him. His eyes began to adjust to the lighting and he could make out figures at the far end of the room. One, two, three….nine, ten, eleven people were within the room and he guessed very few of them were on his side. He began to creep towards the table at which they were seated though his knees were shaking and this made it difficult to make any movement towards the table without looking like a baby deer learning how to walk. He managed to make it to the opposite end of the room with some sort of composure and straightened himself up. Ten rather angry faces stared back at him while Hirato's face seemed to lack any sort of expression at all. The elderly man at the centre of the group began to speak which drew Yogi's attention to him.

"Young man, please state you name and rank." Yogi studied the man who seemed to be, if Yogi had to guess, in his seventies or eighties. This guess stemmed from the fact that this man had grey facial hair took up most of his face and made up for the complete lack of hair on the top of his head, a voice he would have to compare to fingernails on sandpaper, so many wrinkles it would take more than a year to count them all and a rather odd looking walking stick which was resting against the corner of his chair. Yogi shook himself from his thoughts to answer the question.

"My name is Yogi and I am a fighter of the Second Ship for the national defence organisation, Circus." It seemed to flow out of his mouth at this stage; he had stated it for so many people, far too many times.

"And can you tell us why you are here today, Yogi?" a middle aged woman with a rather extravagant fur coat draped around her shoulders; the colour of it matching her lipstick which was far too thick.

"Yes. There was an incident in the previous town that the Second Ship was stationed at which may have been the result of my actions though that may not have been the case it is hard to-"

"Yes yes that's quite enough." Yogi was cut off while trying to explain himself. "To be honest that question was just a formality. We know the reason you are here. Otherwise, why would we be here?" The man was seated at the end of the far end of the table and seemed to be in a rather relaxed position with his feet atop of the table and a cigar in his left hand while running his skeletal fingers through his reddish hair. He was much younger than the first man who spoke to him, perhaps in his thirties though it was hard to tell. He was one of those people that could have been in his fifties but seemed to have found the elixir for eternal youth during his travels. He eyed Yogi with a look of, what Yogi thought to be, disgust. Yogi didn't think what he had done warranted such a look but remember what Hirato had said about only speaking when he was given permission to do so.

"Anyway, let's get this over somewhat quickly, shall we?" the red haired man continued.

"Ah, of course, let's." the elder man continued. "Firstly, you shall tell us exactly what transpired on the day of the incident. Then you will be given a chance to explain yourself and perhaps plea for your sentence to be alleviated." It was this statement that made that made the man at the end of the table scoff which didn't allow Yogi to feel much hope with regards to the severity of the punishment he was to receive. "Finally you will leave us and we will discuss the case and you will be called back so that we can reveal the verdict to you. Alright then, young man, recall the events of that day." The man finished and all at the table leaned forward in the hopes of hearing Yogi's story somewhat better. This was it, the only chance Yogi was going to get to try and explain himself and perhaps get a reasonable punishment; though it would be better if he was let off scot free! He didn't think it was likely. Better to get this over with, he thought so he began to tell his side of the story.

"It began last week. We were in a town called Tengokumachi…."


End file.
